Enhanced Care Support Worker

NHS; Poole; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Poole is seeking an Enhanced Care Support Worker. The role involves providing outstanding care to adults with mental health or cognitive difficulties. Responsibilities include delivering emotional and psychological support to patients, often under high stress. The successful candidate must have relevant qualifications and experience, particularly in mental health care, and be able to communicate effectively. Additional training for managing challenging behaviour will be provided.

Qualifications

• Experience of working in a team under appropriate supervision.
• Experience working with patients requiring one to one supervision and care.
• Previous experience of working within mental health care environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide physical, emotional, and psychological care to patients.
• Spend significant periods of time with patients on a one-to-one basis.
• Manage challenging behaviours with additional training.

Skills

Skills in de-escalation of patients with behaviour that challenges

Ability to communicate clearly and effectively

Understanding of basic physiology

Education

Care Certificate

NVQ Level 3 in care

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

Enhanced Care Support Worker

The closing date is 14 January 2026

The successful post holder will be working with adults who are admitted to University Hospitals Dorset on the Poole site. They will support patients on Portland ward. The patient group will be those who are presenting with mental health or cognitive difficulties in the context of declining physical health and/or neurological or neurodegenerative and Acquired Brain Injuries.

Base Location: Poole

Interview Date: 20th January 2026

Please note we cannot offer sponsorship for this role.

Main duties of the job

The nature of the work will be varied and dynamic, with the main principle of providing outstanding enhanced care to patients needing additional nursing and emotional support, often within a high stress environment.

The general duties will be to spend significant periods of time with patients providing physical, emotional and psychological care, typically on a 1 to 1 basis. This patient group may present with some behaviour which can be challenging however additional training will be given to enable the post holder to both confidently and competently manage this patient group.

Please note: if this job requires you to have a DBS check to enable you to properly fulfil the requirements of the job, on appointment you will be required to repay the cost of obtaining a DBS check and this amount will be reclaimed from your salary.

About us

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

There is a planned move for this service during Late 2025, when this role and base of work will relocate to Bournemouth site. Upon relocation of the role/service, excess mileage allowance / reimbursement will not apply, and any travel between the post holder's home and work base will be classified as a commute. Any other changes unrelated to this, will be handled in line with Trust/National terms and conditions.

Job responsibilities

To understand the role in more detail please read the full job description and person specification documents which are attached to this advert.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Care Certificate
• NVQ Level 3 in care

Experience

• Experience of working in a team under appropriate supervision
• Experience working with patients requiring one to one supervision and care
• Experience of working with the public
• Experience working in the NHS
• Previous experience of working within mental health care environment
• Skills in de-escalation of patients with behaviour that challenges
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively (to understand and be understood)
• Ability to follow clear instruction and feed back to senior staff.
• Understanding of basic physiology, e.g. normal vital signs, fluid balance nutritional requirements etc.

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust